Ottawa Contra Dance

The basic details ... presented in a very basic way!

Dates

We contra dance every 1st and 3rd Saturday AND every 4th Tuesday Sept-June. We also host the occasional special workshop, concert, and dance weekend. See the schedule for more info on dance-related events.

What to bring

Light casual clothing as you will probably get a bit warm. Regular indoor shoes with non-marking soles and low heels for easier dancing are a good idea. And ... bring a water container too!

Location

Our Saturday and Tuesday dances happen in different locations.

Entrance to use on the building's east side.

Saturday dances: Churchill Rec Centre in Westboro, 345 Richmond Road (side door). The centre has a fabulous dance floor used by many groups in the city and is located in the great neighbourhood of Westboro. It is very accessible by foot, bike, bus, car, or ride share.

By bus: Route 11 will drop you off right outside the hall. Alternatively, the
hall is located within an 8 minute walk south and west of the Westboro transitway station.
Visit OC Transpo
to easily plan out your route.

By car: The hall is within a five minute drive of the Queensway in the Ottawa
community of Westboro. Go to google
maps and type in "345 Richmond Road, Ottawa, Ontario". Free parking is available in the
hall parking lot accessible off Churchill Rd or along side streets. To park in the
hall parking lot, or behind the building, register your car at the desk just inside the main
entance.

By ride share/carpool: If you are interested in carpooling (offering a ride/looking
for a ride) on a regular basis, you can post a request to the contra dance
listserve.
However, your safety and comfort in offering/taking a ride is your responsibility and the
committee assumes no liability. Think about it - a great way to get to know other dancers,
save money, and decrease your environmental impact.

By bike: There are bike racks just outside the front door.

Tuesday dances: Our Tuesday dances happen in a gorgeous hall in Hintonburg (41 Rosemount Ave), just a few minutes drive from our Saturday hall. Bus access is very easy for this hall as well and there is parking right across the street in the school parking lot.

Local Restaurants

From out of town and planning a meal before the dance? There are a number of great restaurants in the neighbourhood, some of which are in easy walking distance.

Accommodations

There are various bed and breakfasts as
well as hotels in the Ottawa area.
We also may be able to accommodate the odd contra visitor with billeting.
If you are from out of town and want to come to a contra dance but need a place to stay,
then join our
Facebook group
and post your request in the group, ideally a couple weeks ahead of time. Usually our dancers
can help visiting folks out if enough time is allowed.